LOZO: MEMORY OF CRIMES IN NDH KEY TO CREATION AND DEFENSE OF SRPSKA

BANJA LUKA, APRIL 19 /SRNA/ - Historian Predrag Lozo told SRNA that the conflicts in this area are the product of historical processes, but also the influence of foreign factors, pointing out that in the 1990s, other nations in the area of ​​the former Yugoslavia wanted an independent state, and the Serbs did not want a repeat of the Second World War and the NDH.

"The emergence of Republika Srpska is the best example of how important memory is for a collective. In 1991, memory brought historical awareness that crimes like those in the NDH, of which Jasenovac is the greatest symbol, can be repeated. That's when the Serb people began to organize," Lozo emphasized in the SRNA podcast. According to him, it was a defensive reflex to prevent a repeat of the genocide against the Serbs. "In the 1990s, we had the exhumation of victims from the Herzegovinian pits, from the Livno polje Dalmatia and Lika. All these events opened the eyes of the people and showed that the repetition of evil is possible," pointed out Lozo. He says that a clear historical awareness creates a barrier to the repetition of crimes, where the Serbs recognized the danger. "The people are consciously organizing, defending and creating Republika Srpska," Lozo stressed. He pointed out that the events of 1941 had an impact on the clear organization of the Serbian people in the 1990s, pointing out that the period of the Second World War was biblical. "Until then, the Serbs had never faced the possibility of total destruction from an organized system," said Lozo. He says that after the Second World War, a narrative about the anti-fascist struggle, the revolution and the party was consciously formed, and that the sacrifices and contribution of the people were neglected. "There was talk of equal participation of all peoples. An image of equal participation but also crimes against each other was being built. This artificial balance was reached, which broke in the 1990s," explained Lozo. He states that in the 1990s the people returned to their historical and libertarian vertical, where in the most difficult moments they had to fight so that the evil of 1941 would not be repeated. He pointed out that in order to understand the events of the 1990s, it is important to understand the historical context, which is why foreign historians deliberately omit that part and take 1992 as a starting point. "Thereby, they falsify history and hide the character of the war. We can say that Republika Srpska was born from its covenantal history," Lozo concluded.